


One Last Dance

by brynhildvelvet



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21675310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brynhildvelvet/pseuds/brynhildvelvet
Summary: joker and ren enjoy a bittersweet farewell waltz.taken from my worka trickster's foolish heartbut I think this would be a good start to a selfcest series :)
Relationships: Persona 5 Protagonist & Joker
Kudos: 9





	One Last Dance

The party is well under way. Champagne and hors d'oeuvre are aplenty thanks to Haru as they celebrate all of them graduating high school. Ren chats with the others, but he soon wanders away, getting sidetracked as he amuses himself exploring Haru's mansion. She didn't exactly give them cautionary instructions about what rooms to avoid, but he doesn't go snooping regardless.

The mansion's grand embellishments and decorations, including cute trinkets and foreign paintings, make for adequate entertainment. Ren feels tangentially fancy, in his suit admiring a distinguished-looking painting with a champagne glass in hand. 

He hears music float up from downstairs followed by the excited cheers of his friends. Ren smiles at the sound. He should probably return to them soon. The amount of alcohol he has ingested makes his mind feeling lighter and more present than he can recall as of recently.

Maybe that's why he catches a glimpse of a svelte figure leaning against the balcony door, dressed in sharp black against the white walls of Haru’s mansion, red gloves gripping the sleeves of a long trench coat. He barely has time to process the sight before the figure turns away and strides out onto the balcony with a flick of coattails. The image of a stark-white mask is burned into his mind.

It can't be -!

He rushes after them.

After he ran outside, he no longer has any doubts, the figure leaning against the white stone railing of the balcony is unmistakable.

"Joker." Breathless. The absurdity of the situation steals his breath.

The man barely inclines his head to indicate he heard him, regardless, Ren goes to join his side, staring in astonishment at the face that is the same as his. It has been so long since he has seen that silhouette. One that he is used to seeing in palace mirrors.

Against all better judgment, he’s missed him.

But Ren doesn’t know how he would appear _now_. How in the world he would manifest outside of Mementos, with that other world gone.

"Shouldn't you be with your friends," Joker asks. Still barely giving Ren a glance.

Ren shakes his head.

"You're here… how are you here?"

Joker stares out into the gardens under the night sky. Wind ruffling his hair briefly as it whisks by them.

"Mementos is gone, you won't need me anymore." He says finally. Heavy and resigned.

Ren lurches forward in his daze.

"No! I will always need you. You were the only one…." He grips the other's sleeve, wrinkles folding harshly into the coat that he had once called his own. _The only one who could save me. Back then._

At his desperate movements, Joker turns to regard him. His eyes are hidden in the shadow of his mask. Mouth close-lipped. Joker is a man of few words, reserving his smart quips to showboat during battle. His quiet air doesn't make it easier for Ren to know his intentions. Ren doesn't know what to make of this creature that's taken a sentient form. As though his very existence has been split in the middle by lightning.

With the thief's steady gaze upon him, prying him open for the other, Ren doesn't resist when he effortlessly removes his clenched hand from the sleeve.

"Let us dance." Joker whispers. Before Ren could register the motions, Joker already has his hand across his lower back, and matching red leather glove buttery soft in Ren's hand. And without any further words he whisks Ren into a pas de deux.

Joker leads them circles. In time with the music from that drifts from below. At some point the music morphed into a melancholic, sardonically happy waltz. It has an eerie tone as it echoes through the vast hollow halls of the building. Ren ponders idly that it doesn't seem to be the sort of music that his friends would like.

But he is distracted by his partner. In his daze, he gazes raptly at the face that hovers over his, made taller by heeled boots.

As they sway and twirl in the dark, lit only by the light from the balcony doors, Ren tries to remember as much of Joker as he can. The exact arch of the white mask, the silver shine of his vest buttons, the feeling of his coat. Ren traces it with his fingers.

If only he will never forget.

At one point in their dance - Ren has lost track of time, Joker could have trapped him in a spell forever, and he would - he wouldn't mind.

"This is my goodbye to you." Joker says, still cradling him close. Ren's heart is gripped with fear at his words. As much as their feet move in tandem as though they are one, Ren's heart doesn't feel in sync with his doppelganger. How will he ever tell this man, how thankful he is for him, that he'll never forget him?

"I don't want to say goodbye." He whispers. His voice lacks the deep, rich tone of Joker’s. Whispery, contemplative, and much more doubtful. Of his future. And of his fortitude.

Joker smiles down at him, a small amused, wistful quirk of the lips.

"Well then."

And they dance and dance until Ren's mind whirls, loses track of time and space as he searches for memories in that face and in the twinkle of the thief's eyes. Joker perpetually has that smile on his face, as he fulfills just one last favor for Ren.

The world blurs. Ren keeps his eyes open for as long as he can. He commits the feeling of another body exactly like his own against him. The swish of coattails against his legs. The sound of the distorted organ playing through the night air. He lays his head down against a shoulder and inhales the smell of leather. He tries to stay in this moment forever.

_Don’t leave me._

On his next conscious thought he is lying on the floor by the open balcony doors. Ren feels as though he had woken from a nap. Groggy and disoriented. When he touches his face, wondering what exactly happened in that pocket of time, his hands pull away wet with tears.

His champagne glass lays on its side next to him, empty when it had been half-full right before Joker appeared.


End file.
